Trapped In Lunacy
by Kill-All-Walkers
Summary: Charlotte thinks this is the perfect birthday; on a gorgeous island with her sister and friends, until they get kidnapped by pirates. After the escape going wrong with Charlotte being left behind, Vaas decides to keep her for himself, something he's never done. Now, Charlotte will endure a never ending tunnel of drugs, insanity, and even love. Vaas/OC
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own Far Cry 3. WARNING! Rated M (just to be safe) for swearing, violence, mentions of drug use/abuse and adult themes. Constructive criticism welcomed :)**

**A/N: This is only the prologue, so future chapters will be much longer.**

I'm running, but I feel like I'm getting nowhere.

My leg hurts so much, it's indescribable, but the adrenaline pulsing through me covers that pain for now. I push yet another branch out of my way. That's all I seem to be doing at the moment; running past hundreds of trees, pushing branches out of my face, skipping over roots. I feel like I've been doing this forever and getting no progress.

The barking and _his_ footsteps running behind me have long faded, but I can't see him in front of me. I think I've lost him, but I still run on, hoping to catch him. I need to find my sister, and he's my only hope.

I suddenly notice that the trees are starting to thin out, looking less like a jungle. Joy fills my whole body, as now I think I'm finally getting somewhere. That is, until I see a familiar flash of red in front of me. I don't have time to stop as Vaas sticks his gun out and strikes my head with the butt of the gun.

Blood oozes from my head as I stumble backwards and fall onto my back, landing with a loud thud. The ground is wet and mushy, causing the mud to stick and stain my clothes and skin. I cover the gash on my forehead with my hands, suddenly screaming out as he leans on my fractured leg. I bite onto my bottom lip hard, shredding the skin with my teeth. Pain throbs throughout my entire body, and tears mixed with blood and sweat dribble down my face. They sting my eyes and blur my vision, but I can still see the spark in his brown eyes looking down at me.

He strokes my face with one hand while his other hand rests near my head. I whimper pathetically and push myself into the dirt as he leans closer to my face. His features and scar becomes clearer now, and his rough lips brush softly against my bruised ones. His hand caresses my cheek as his lips move against mine. I should be scared, repulsed, but I give in and kiss him back, wanting him. I can't help it. I grab onto the front of his red shirt, pulling him closer.

While he kisses me, he straddles me, completely trapping me. With only one hand, he pins both my arms above my head. He breaks off the kiss and now I can feel his hot breath on my cheek, his stubble rubbing against my neck. I feel his lips move to my ear and he softly chuckles.

"Why did you do this, huh?"

I don't know whether he wants an answer or not, but I stay silent, letting the rain hit my face. I hear the clicking of his gun, and my heart drops.

"See, now, this fucks everything up. Now... you leave me no choice."

**Well? Please review, just so I know what you think of it :)**


	2. Chapter One

**Disclaimer: I do not own Far Cry 3, I just Charlotte and Co. WARNING! Rated T for swearing, violence, mentions of drug use/abuse and adult themes.**

**A/N: Firstly, I just want to say thank you for the reviews! I really didn't expect to get as many as it did, so again, thank you, they really mean a lot to me! :D**

**IMPORTANT: Okay, this is just to explain what's happening so no one gets confused. The prologue is NOT the start of the story; it is a part of the story but it's not the beginning. The prologue is just a snippet of what's going to happen, a look into the future. This is chapter one, the actual start of the story.**

Chapter One

Sitting in the clear blue sky, the sun radiates its heat, burning everything in its sight. No white clouds are in sight as seagulls glide through the stuffy air. A light breeze comes and goes, forcing the trees to sway delicately. The sea laps up on the sand, washing up the odd seashell. Sunlight bounces off the water, making the water sparkle.

My hand softly touches the hot, crystal sand, picking a handful up and letting the grains slip in between my fingers. I put my book down and sit up, taking my sunglasses off. As I take a sip from my water, someone sits next to me and taps my shoulder.

"Having fun?" My sister, Tammy, asks.

I nod, giving her a smile. "Yeah, this island is gorgeous. I can't believe I've never heard of it before." I say, looking over the whole beach.

It's true; I've never heard of this island, even in school. Rooks Island. The name sounds weird, but it's such a beautiful island. It's like something out of a movie; it's so perfect. In fact, besides Peter, the others, Bradley, Sarah, Trevor, and Grace hadn't heard of this island either.

"Well, I'm glad you're enjoying your birthday and holiday. Aren't I just the greatest big sister ever?" She asks, grinning at me.

"The best." I reply.

It's my birthday today, and as a gift from Tammy, she brought me along on this vacation. A few weeks ago, Tammy's boyfriend, Peter, invited Tammy and their group of friends to spend a week in his cousin's cabin on this mysterious island. Since Tammy knew it was my birthday that week, she persuaded Peter to let me come and surprised me with this holiday. Now, after already spending two days here, I can't thank my sister enough.

"So-" She turns to sit in front of me. "-are you excited for today?"

I feel myself grin as I look at her. "Of course! I've wanting to do this since we got here."

Today, we are all going backpacking through the jungle and then staying overnight in a little clearing. I have always wanted to do this and so has Tammy, so we thought this is the perfect opportunity. It wasn't hard persuading the others, though Grace took a bit longer.

I hear a few sets of footsteps coming towards us. I look behind us to see Peter, Bradley and his girlfriend, Sarah, walking towards us. Sarah playfully messes my hair as Peter sits next to Tammy. Bradley stands in front of us.

"So, what are you two talking about?" Peter questions.

"Oh, just about tonight." I say, putting my sunglasses back on.

"Man, I'm so excited!" Bradley exclaims.

Sarah nods her head. "Same here, I can't wait to see all the animals." She adds in.

"Well, my cousin said there are always monkeys and birds around, but it's more in the night that the snakes and lizards come out." Peter says. He quickly glances at his watch. "Hey, if we want to be on time, we better start getting ready." He states.

He and Tammy both stand up, brushing the sand off their legs. "Oh, and make sure you wear thin clothes; it can really get hot out in the middle of the jungle, and you don't want to be wearing thick clothes, trust me." Peter says to me.

"Alright, see you all later." I call to them as they walk off.

I pick up all my things and stand up, picking up my towel and brushing off the sand. The sand sticks in between my toes as I walk back to the cabin where we're staying. The cabin is gorgeous, all of it made out of red oak wood complete with an open porch and a swing bed. It's huge as well, with five bedrooms and two bathrooms in it, so there's enough room for all of us.

Once I reach the cabin, I jog up to wooden stairs inside all the way to the top floor. In my room, I quickly change from my purple bikini into fresh underwear and a bra, denim shorts, and a baggy grey t-shirt. I then move onto my backpack, making sure I have all my things. I do one last check over then slip on my red sneakers. I grab my phone and make my way down the stairs. Everyone is already at the door waiting.

"Well," Peter says as I jump the last step. "Is everyone ready?" He asks.

"Yeah, so, let's get going!" Tammy shouts, pulling me out the door.

Once we're out the door, Peter leads us to a trail that starts at the edge of the forest behind the cabin. If we keep on the trail, we should enter the jungle, leading to the clearing, according to Peter's cousin. We talk amongst ourselves as we follow the trail, the trees getting bigger and thicker. The sun peaks through the tops of the trees and leafs, causing many random beams of light to shine down.

We continue to walk for ten minutes until Peter announces that we're in the jungle. I notice this, since now I'm practically jumping over the roots from the trees and getting caught in random vines. Tweeting noises from different birds start to become more frequent. The air is getting stuffier, so we slow down our pace.

"Why does there have to be so many bugs out here?" Grace suddenly whines.

I roll my eyes and we all hold in the urge to giggle.

I hear Trevor sigh. "Sweetie, we're in the jungle, there's obviously going to bugs."

"Well, does anyone have any bug spray?" She asks.

Again, we all glance at each other in amusement and hold in our laughter while Trevor sighs once more. A distant sound of running water suddenly catches my attention. The sound gets louder as walk on, sounding closer with every step.

Everyone is dripping with sweat when Peter comes to a halt. A thick mass of trees stand in front of us, and the noise of the running water sounds close. Peter suddenly starts to walk through the trees, so we all follow suite. I'm about to question where he is taking us, since the trail ended at the trees, but the mass of trees disappear, and the sudden harsh light blinds me. When I finally regain my sight, I'm taken back at the scene before me.

We've stopped at a small clearing, surrounded by the trees of the jungle. The running water I heard is the beautiful waterfall that sits in this mini clearing. It falls from a small cliff made of rocks, looking like a sheet of silk hanging from it. Fish of all colours and sizes swim through the crystal clear water. Exotic flowers and plants surround the edge of the pond, bringing some colour to the green scenery. Birds fly from tree to tree, singing and calling to each other.

"Oh, this is amazing!" I gasp.

"You can say that again." Tammy says, staring at the scene while standing next to Peter.

As the others begin to share their thoughts about this, I wonder off closer to the ponds edge. I sit on a giant rock, releasing my backpack from my sore shoulders and letting it fall to the ground. My fingers lightly touch the water, and the miniature waves scare off some of the fish. I watch as they swim off in different directions, before dipping both hands in the water and splashing the cool water on my face. The water droplets sliding down my face and neck feels so refreshing.

A rustle of leafs catches my attention, and I look over at the bushes on the other side of the pond. Nothing comes out, and all leafs still. I debate whether to check it out or not, but I listen in on the others conversation.

"My cousin showed me this when we came here last time. Beyond those rocks is the proper trail, and if you walk along it far enough, you come to the big clearing, where we're staying tonight. There are all types of animals on the trail; birds, monkeys, snakes, lizards, and sometimes even the stray tiger-"

"Tiger? You never said anything about tigers!" Grace suddenly shouts.

Peter chuckles. "Don't worry, they never come on the trail, you can only sometimes see them from afar."

"Cool." I say, walking back over to them.

Grace looks at me horrified. "Cool? How is getting eaten by tigers cool? I swear to God, Peter, if I get attacked by a damn tiger, I'll-"

"Be dead?" Sarah laughs, interrupting Grace's rant.

As Grace goes a comical shade of red, Trevor grabs her hands and forces her to look at him. "Hey, baby, look at me. Peter wouldn't have brought us here if he knew it wasn't safe. We'll be fine, right, Peter?" Trevor looks at Peter with a pleading look.

"Yeah, we'll be fine. The tigers never come on the trail; they stay on the other side anyway, since lots of people usually visit or work on this ground." Peter explains.

Without warning, another loud rustle from the same bush startles me again, but this time, everyone hears it. We all spin round to face it, standing still like statues.

"What was that?" Bradley asks, glancing at all of us.

We all stay silent, and again we all hear the rustling; only this time it comes from somewhere else. My eyes flicker between the two spots. I feel my heart speed up slightly, and I take a step back next to Tammy. Tension fills the air as we continue to stare at the bushes.

"Guys, maybe we should head back." I whisper, pulling on Tammy's arm.

Before anyone can reply, multiple bushes rustle. Out of nowhere, something silver and shiny soars through the air. It reflects the suns light as it flies past my head. A blood-curdling scream suddenly comes from behind me, and I whip round to see Bradley on the floor with blood pooling under him. Everyone starts to scream, and horror fills my body as I see the silver thing is actually a huge hunting knife, and it's embedded all the way in Bradley's thigh.

"Bradley!" Sarah screams.

She and Peter both kneel down next to Bradley, getting blood on their knees and hands. Tammy, Grace, and Trevor all go into panic mode, all of them shouting and trying to help. I just stand there, staring at the Bradley as he cries and screams, gripping onto his bleeding thigh. All the noise slowly starts to fade away, replaced by my own heartbeat thumping in my ears. My breathing becomes shallow and uneven. I can feel the blood racing throughout my whole body.

I am brought back to reality though, as what sounds like a hundred war cries echo's through the entire jungle at once. Birds burst from the trees, taking to the sky at the sudden wave of shouts. Following the shouting are footsteps, many footsteps. The footsteps turn into running. What is even worse though, the footsteps are coming towards us.

As quick as lightening, Peter swings his arm over Bradley, pulling him up. "RUN!" He roars, his eyes wide with fear.

He and Trevor pick up Bradley, and we take off running back the way we came. I grab onto Tammy's arm and I pull her along with me. We are all running as fast as we can, the dozens of footsteps not too far behind. My heart slams against my chest as I leap over the roots of trees, so much that I fear my chest will rip into two. Branches slap and hit me everywhere, so I bring my free arm up to shield my face. Bradley still cries in pain as Peter and Trevor keep shouting at us to keep going.

"Just keep running, don't stop!" Peter yells over the growing shouting and footsteps.

I feel Tammy slip from my grip, and I almost turn back for her until I feel someone push me. "I'm right behind you, just keep going!" She shouts behind me.

Now, I pump both of my arms, hoping it will make me go faster. Both Grace and Sarah shriek behind me as the footsteps are right behind us. My blood suddenly runs cold as I hear Peter and Bradley shout as they trip and crash into the ground. Sarah, Grace, and Tammy footsteps slow down behind me, until I can no longer hear them.

"Tammy!" I shriek, but get no reply.

Something stings the back of my neck before I get to call out again. My hand reaches behind me, and I pull something out of my neck. It is a red-feathered dart with a silver, sharp tip. Liquid leaks out of the silver tip, and I realise what it is. It's a tranquiliser.

My neck and shoulders suddenly feel numb, but I don't stop. I push myself further, feeling dizzy, and soon my arms feel like jelly. They flail at my sides and I feel sick. I no longer feel like I'm running, in fact, I feel like I'm flying. My vision doubles and blurs and I feel my legs collapse under me. Instead of feeling the hard, muddy ground, I feel nothing, and soon, I begin to see nothing. Darkness fills my vision, before it completely takes over my mind.

**Just a reminder, this is the start of the story, the prologue is just a glimpse into the future of the story! :)**


	3. Chapter Two

**Disclaimer: I do not own Far Cry 3, I just own Charlotte and Co. WARNING! Rated T for swearing, violence, mentions of drug use/abuse and adult themes.**

**A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews, honestly, they mean so much to me! It's nice to get feedback from you all, so please review because it keeps me motivated :)**

Chapter Two

"Your sister, she is a heavy sleepy, hey?"

_Where am I?_

"She better wake up soon, she'll miss all the fun we're having!"

_Why can't I see anything? What happened, and who is that speaking?_

Total darkness fills my vision; my eyelids feel too heavy to open. Everything sounds as if it's under water, like it's far away. Sudden pain throbs through my head, as if someone's hammering the inside of my head. I squeeze my eyes, trying to bear the pain, before opening them slowly. Everything's all fuzzy and blurry, making me feel dizzy. I feel my head sway from side to side, and I moan aloud, though it comes out muffled.

"Ah, I think she's waking up!"

It's that voice again, though this time it's not as hushed. It's a male's, and I think it sounds Hispanic but I can't focus on it properly. I can't see who the voice belongs to, but slowly my vision starts to clear. The dizziness has passed, but I still have a headache and now I feel sick.

After a few seconds, everything stops moving, and my sight becomes clear. The first thing I notice is that it's night time. I wonder if I'm in the campsite, but everything suddenly comes rushing back to me. The knife hitting Bradley, shouting and footsteps coming towards us, running through the forest, being hit with a tranquiliser. The tranquiliser! I was knocked out…

I squeeze my eyes shut and open them again. Tammy sits in front of me with tears streaming down her face. My vision returns normal, and I fully see what has happened to her. A gag is tied around her mouth, stopping her from speaking, and her hands are tied together above her head.

Panic surges through me, and my first instinct is to reach for her, but I can't move my arms. I look up to see my hands are also bound to a piece of bamboo. I try to scream, but I feel the tight gag around my mouth blocking my voice. I wriggle around, but the rope tightens and burns my wrists that are stuck above my head. Finally, I stop and I take in my surroundings.

Grace and Sarah are next to Tammy and I, both gagged and tied. The four of us are crammed in a bamboo cage, with dirt and leafs as our carpet. When I look past the cage, I see trees, dozens of dozens of trees that go on forever. Small huts with more cages outside surround us. Men, with dark skin like the night, with bandanas covering their faces and guns, walk around the cage and another cage. I squint, and realise Peter, Trevor, and Bradley are in the other cage, all frightened.

Fear suddenly engulfs me, and I cry out, kicking and thrashing at the dirt with my feet. Someone outside the cage suddenly grabs my tied hands and strokes them.

"Shhh... it's alright." It's the voice from before. He chuckles, and his hands are gone from mine.

"Happy birthday to you." In my moment of fear, I frown. _He's singing?_ What the-

"Happy birthday to you." A figure suddenly comes into view from the side outside the cage. A tall man, with black stained boots and green combat pants walks next to me. He wears a red tank top with a couple of bandages around his muscled arms, and on top of his head is a perfectly spiked up mohawk. His back is to me, so I can't see his face, but I clearly see the gun he's waving.

"Happy birthday dear Charlotte." A cold shiver runs my spine when he says my name. How does he know my name?

He suddenly spins and crouches to the ground. The shadows keep his face hidden as he continues to sing.

"Happy birthday to... you." When he finishes, he slowly looks up at me, the light from the random torches revealing his face.

A muffled gasp escapes my lips, and I recoil into the hard bamboo, not expecting him to be that close. The first thing I notice are his eyes, a light chocolate mixed with a hint green with a spark in them, standing out against his tanned skin. They stare right back into mine, and I break the gaze to look at the rest of his face. A large scar marks the left side of his head, running over his forehead and ending above his eye. Besides his small beard and mohawk, the rest of his face is shaven. Around his neck hang a few necklaces, one that shines with a green gem. I meet his eyes again.

He smiles, but it's not a warm smile; it's unnerving and almost sadistic. "Happy birthday Charlotte, are you enjoying your birthday so far?"

I feel like kicking and screaming at him, but it suddenly dawns on me. How does he know it's my birthday? I stay silent, not because I don't want to speak, but because the gag is too tight around my mouth.

"Oh, I take that as a no then. That's such a shame." He leans closer to me, his head fitting through the gaps of the bamboo. "Tell me, Charlotte, how old are you today?"

My whole body shivers as I feel his warm breath. What is wrong with this guy? If I could, I would call him every name under the sun, but then I quickly glance at his gun, and decide not to. I try to say my age, but it comes out in muffled noises.

"What was that? I can't understand you. Here, let me help you."

He sticks his hand through the gap and reaches out to me. Petrified, I sit as still as I can, but I can't stop myself from shaking like a leaf as his fingers skim my face. He hooks the gag and pulls it down. My jaw aches, and I open and close my mouth.

"Now, tell me, how old are you?" He asks with that evil smile still on his face.

"Twenty four." I whisper. My voice sounds alien like, so low and croaky.

He stares at me and smirks. "Hm, very nice." He whispers, before tugging the gag back on.

He ducks his head out and stands up, laughing and clapping his hands. "So, everyone is here now." He pulls out a bunch of wallets and cards from his back pocket.

"Here, we've got Peter, Trevor, and Bradley." He calls out, pointing to the three men in the other cage. "And over here, we've got Sarah, Grace, Tammy, and Charlotte." So that's how he knew my name and birthday.

"So, you all here on holiday? Here to have a good time. To do whatever the fuck you want and not have a care in the world?" He asks us all, bending down so he's facing all of us. "Well, that's all going to change now, amigos." He says, again smiling at us all.

"You all look expensive, so let's hope all your mama and papa's love you all, 'cause they're going to have to pay a lot for you all." As he says this, he takes whatever money is left in all our wallets.

In the other cage, Peter starts the pull at the ropes around his wrists, and I can faintly hear the muffled swears that escape behind his gag.

The man looks at Peter and drops all the wallets, picking up his gun. "What, you want to say something, white boy?" He points his gun at Peter. "Shut the fuck up! You speak again, and I'll blow your stupid fucking brains out!"

Everyone freezes as Peter stops and stares wide-eyed at the gun wielding man.

"Oh, trust me, hermano, I won't hesitate to gut you like a fish in front of all your friends. I'd make sure it is nice and slow for their entertainment, especially for your little girlfriend over here." He laughs, looking over at Tammy as he puts his gun away.

My stomach turns and I feel like I'm going to be sick. Tammy is already in tears, and so are the other two. My heart beats quickly inside my chest as try to keep the bile from rising in my throat. Salty tears well up in the corner of my eyes as the thought of what is happening has just hit me. This guy is fucking crazy.

The maniac looks over at us. "No, no, no. Why are you all crying?" He asks, coming over and kneeling by our cage. "You see, you have no reason to cry. You came onto _my_ island to have your little party and do whatever the fuck you want. Well, it doesn't work like that on my island. This is my _kingdom_. You don't make the rules; Imake the rules. So now, Iown _all_ ofyou. So, stop fucking crying, okay?"

While Tammy and the other two hold in their whimpers, I glare at him. He looks at me and chuckles. "Don't frown, that's how you get wrinkles, and your face is too pretty for that."

I don't know whether to scream or cry, but I stay silent, not wanting him to have the satisfaction of seeing me cry anymore. He stands up and claps his hands together, looking around at us all.

"Now, if I were you, I'd get some sleep, because tomorrow is going to be a big day-"

"Vaas! We need you over here." One the men calls, appearing out of the bushes, gun in hand.

'Vaas', as the armed man called him, frowns and his eyes go dark. "In a fucking minute! Can't you see I'm talking to our new guests?" He barks, turning to face the now scared man.

The pirate takes a few steps back, his dreadlocks swaying as he stumbles. "But Vaas, but we need to-"

Vaas whips his gun out once again, and points it to the cowering man. "What did I just say? Are you fucking deaf? I said in a fucking minute, you stupid asshole!" Vaas yells with venom in his voice.

However, as he turns around, a smile is on his face and he even chuckles. Jesus Christ, this guy is insane. "Like I was saying, get some sleep, you'll need it. Ta-ta."

I watch him as he walks away. He whistles, and two more men appear from the shadows. They stand next to him as he points in our direction. "Keep an eye on them." Before he walks off, he notices that I'm looking at him and winks at me.

My face is hard as I watch him go off, but as the armed men crowd round our cages, I can't help the sobs that escape behind my gag. My stomach is in knots and my heart is still thumping. I can't get the image of that psycho, Vass, out of my head; how insane he acted, the gun in his hand, the way he said my name, that crazy spark in his eye. I'm still drumming it into my head that we've been kidnapped and now being held for ransom.

Anger bubbles deep within the pit of my stomach. That fucking asshole! I start to pull at the rough rope, tugging as hard as I can. Horrible, childish noises form in my throat as I dig my nails into the rope. I can hear the guards laughing at me, but that only fuels the fire inside of me. For about two minutes, I continue to thrash about, not caring that the rope is tightening around my wrists. Blood trickles down my arm from my burning cuts, and finally, I give up.

All the anger is gone from inside me and is replaced with misery and hopelessness. A pathetic cry comes from my mouth as the tears form in my eyes. For the first time in my life, I feel so scared and helpless, and most of all, vulnerable. I can't do anything. Tammy looks up at me, and we both sit and stare at each other for a few moments. Her watery eyes look into mine, and all I can do is stare back. My thoughts rush to my parents. Right now, I wanted my mom to hold me tight, calm me down, and say it was just a nightmare, like when I used to have night terrors as a child.

But this isn't a nightmare.

Before I go spiralling into an emotional wreck, faint shouting can be heard. I recognise one voice, Vaas, but the other one is new to me. It almost sounds as if the other one is pleading, but I'm that drained, everything starts going fuzzy again.

The shouting suddenly comes to a stop though, as a gunshot rings throughout the jungle.

**Yay, Vaas is finally here! Wow, I never thought I would ever say that about an insane, murdering, cruel, sexy pirate… **_**Anyway**_**, moving on, what did you think about Vaas? Is he psycho enough for you all? Please leave feedback in the reviews, just so I know what you think of the story so far; it keeps me motivated! Thanks! :)**


	4. Chapter Three

**Disclaimer: I do not own Far Cry 3, I just own Charlotte and Co. WARNING! Rated T for swearing, violence, mentions of drug use/abuse and adult themes**.

**A/N: Thank you for the favourites, follows, and reviews! Didn't realise I'd get this many! Hope you're all enjoying the story so far, it'll pick up the pace in a few chapters.**

Chapter Three

A soft tap on my shoulder disturbs me from my slumber. I moan and turn my head away, keeping my eyes closed tightly, but the tapping gets harder.

"Hey, wake up."

The voice is rough, but in my tired state, I ignore it and feel myself drifting back to sleep.

"Hey, I said wake the fuck up!"

My eyes open with a start and I jolt up, but I'm pulled back against something hard. As I shake my head, attempting to wake myself up, I try to think what happened. Birds sing and there are different voices around me, and I suddenly remember what happened last night. I feel the tight gag around my mouth and the burning ropes around my wrists. Dried up blood still stains my wrists and arms from when the ropes had cut my skin last night. I look to where the voice was before and my eyes widen in shock.

Vaas, the maniac from last night, is sitting outside the cage with his head in between the bars. He's only a few inches away from my face, his eyes staring into mine. A smile is plastered on his face, but it's not true. It's almost a smirk, like he's laughing at me.

"Have a nice sleep?" He asks, his hand coming through the bars and stroking my hair.

I attempt to scream and shout at him, shaking his hand off, but Vaas grips my hair and pulls my face roughly towards his.

"Why are you screaming? I'm being nice." He snaps. "Why do you not appreciate me being nice, huh? Cause trust me, hermana, I can do a lot worse to make you scream." The spark in his eyes seems to glow brighter as his other hand reaches for the huge hunting knife that's strapped in his belt. I'm sure it's the same one that stabbed Bradley.

His hand tightens in my hair, causing me to cry out. Just before he brings the knife up to my face, I see in the corner of my eye Tammy waking up. When she sees Vaas and I, she cries out and tries to kick Vaas away, though her foot doesn't even reach anywhere near him.

Vaas chuckles next to me. "Wow, your sister's a feisty one, isn't she?"

I hear Sarah and Grace waking up next to me, and I look over at the other cage to see Peter and Trevor awake. Bradley looks like he's drifting in and out of consciousness.

Vaas lets go of my hair and stands up, brushing the dirt off his pants. "Well, now that everyone is awake, we can start having some fun, can't we?"

Vaas starts to circle our cage, looking at all of us. I now notice that a few of his men are standing around both of the cages, again all with red balaclavas on their faces and big guns in their hands. My eyes go to one of them when I hear a vicious growl. One of them is teasing a small tiger that is trapped in a bamboo cage that I never even noticed before. The young looking wild cat claws at the cage, growling while the pirate just laughs. I hope they're not aggravating it for us.

"Well, where shall we start?" Vaas asks. He's silent, as if he's waiting for an answer. "What, aren't you all having fun? We had fun yesterday for Charlotte's birthday, didn't we, Charlotte?" He smirks as he looks at me.

All I do is glare daggers back at him, but he just grins at me. A moan suddenly fills the air, and we all turn around to see Bradley shaking vigorously against the cage. Vaas lets out a low whistle and walks closer to Bradley.

"Ooh, looks like your friend is ill." He comments. He points to one of the pirates and motions to the cage.

The guard puts his gun down and goes over to the door of the bamboo cage, opening it. Peter and Trevor start moving around, but the other guards point there guns to them. They still, and we all watch anxiously as the pirate unties Bradley's hands and then begin to drag him out of the cage. They rip his gag off as they drop him outside the cage. I hear Sarah whimper, but I focus on Vaas, who is now leaning over Bradley.

As Bradley lies limp on the ground, I notice how awful he looks. Bradleys once peachy skin is now ghostly pale and dark rings circle his eyes. He shakes uncontrollably, and is arms are locked at his sides.

"Ah, I see the problem here." Vaas says, kneeling beside Bradley. "Your friend has an infection." Vaas points to Bradley's leg.

My eyes follow to where Vaas points and I gasp in horror at the sight. It's the wound where Bradley was hit with the knife, though now it's seemingly worse. The gash is scabbed over, a horrible brown colour. His skin is puffed up around it and red, a little bit of dry blood and puss around it. His shorts are torn and soaked in dry blood, and his whole thigh is slightly swollen.

Bradley looks up at Vaas. "Please…" He groans, his hands moving to his leg.

Vaas clucks his tongue, and shakes his head. "I've seen this dozens of times, hermano; your leg is fucked."

The few pirates that stand around us quietly chuckle. I watch as Vaas stands up, and turns away from Bradley. "You see, that's only going to get worse, and we just haven't got the supplies to treat that kind of shit. Over the next few days, you're only going to get worse and weak. That is no good to me."

My eyebrows knit together as I stare up at the crazy man, a horrible feeling building up in my stomach.

Bradley looks up. "What?"

Vaas' face is hard as he turns back around to face him. "Well, if I'm going to sell you for good money, I need you to be healthy." All of us perk our heads up as soon as those words leave his mouth. "Oh, did you all think I was really going to let you all go free? No, amigos, you're all worth too much."

My stomach drops as he laughs aloud. Sell us? He's going to sell us? Grace and Sarah start to panic next to me, pulling at their ropes while Peter lets out a growl behind his gag. My eyes are wide as I meet eyes with Vaas, and he grins at me before turning back to Bradley.

"Get on your knees." He says, nudging Bradley with his boot. When Bradley doesn't move, he kicks him harder in the stomach. "I said get the fuck on your knees, fucking cocksucker!"

Bradley groans out loud, crying of pain as he curls up in a ball. Sarah yells behind her gag, watching with tears in her eyes. Vaas stands there, watching Bradley while tapping his foot. Ever so slowly, Bradley takes a deep breath, and begins to get up on his knees. He hisses with pain as he leans on his injured thigh. Once he is on his knees, he looks up at Vaas.

"Very good, Bradley." Vaas comments, slowly clapping.

"You're a psycho." Bradley mumbles, glaring at Vaas.

I cringe, waiting for Vaas to strike out, but he just chuckles, and even oddly enough, pats Bradley on the head like a dog. Vaas gets down on one knee beside Bradley. "Ah, you're funny guy, you know that Bradley?"

Bradley frowns and stays silent, staring at the ground.

"But do you know what's not funny? When a bunch of fucking tourists comes onto my island, just like you, and expect to have a 'vacation' without paying the price." Vaas explains, massaging the side of his head with his hand. "You see, they come onto my island to enjoy the sun, play with the fishy's, walk through the jungle, all bullshit like that."

Vaas stands up, walking behind Bradley. "But, what they don't understand is that, they are trespassing onto _my_ island, and the thing with my island is that, it's not for vacationing. My island is a business."

Calmly, Vaas pulls out his gun from the holster that is strapped around his waist. "It's all about making money. Money is power. So when you come onto my island, you gotta pay the fee."

I frown as I continue to listen to this man. I stare at Vaas, watching his every movement. It seems like whatever he does or says doesn't affect him. Calling this man insane would be giving him a compliment. My attention is brought back as he speaks again.

"Your friends, especially your little girlfriend, Bradley, are going to pay your fee perfectly. I've got a lot of buyers requesting for _tender_ meat." As he says this, he glances over in our direction, his eyebrow raised.

"But you Bradley, you're in bad shape. Who would want to buy you, huh? Look at yourself, you are worthless! WORTHLESS!" Vaas screams at Bradley, making me jump slightly.

Vaas smiles though, once he's calmed down, and points his gun to the back of Bradley's head. I feel my heart stop and my eyes go wide as Vaas cocks the gun. My whole body stiffens, and my voice is caught in my throat. _No_…

"Say goodbye to your friends, Bradley."

Before Bradley can question what is going on, Vaas pulls the trigger. The gun shot echoes through the jungle as Bradley jerks forward. His body stills for a moment before slumping lifelessly to the ground, landing with a sicking _thud_. A small pool of blood forms around Bradley's head as we sit there stunned.

Sarah is the first to scream, followed by all the rest.

I stare at the dead body of my friend, the gaping hole in the back of his head looking at me, blood and brain leaking from it. My chest rises and falls at a fast speed, the screams of my sister and friends fading as the gun shot replays repeatedly in my head. My eyes flicker to Vaas, and then back at Bradley's dead body.

Vaas killed him, Bradley's dead, Vaas killed him.

These words circle the inside of my head, going around like a merry-go-round that's never ending. I hear Sarah chocking furiously on her sobs as she fights against her ropes. The others are all bawling and crying, but I just sit there silently, staring at Bradley. It feels like a dream, and I squeeze my eyes shut, hoping when I open them that Bradley is alive.

But when I open them, he's still face down in the ground, lifeless.

"Shh, it's okay." I suddenly hear _his_ voice next to me.

I look over to see the murdering psychopath crouched next to a weeping Sarah. He strokes her face with his hand, his face hard. "Don't cry, it was his time to go. He would've have been of little worth to me, unlike you."

Sarah lets out another cry as Vaas smiles at her. I feel a growl building up in my chest, and I manage to scream a 'fuck you' from behind my gag, though it doesn't come very out clear. Vaas must have heard though, as his head flicks up to me. He snarls at me as he snatches his hand from inside the cage and storms over to me. I hear him crouch behind me and suddenly a strong hand wraps around my throat as my head is forced back against the bamboo.

His hot breath is against my ear, breathing heavily. "Oh, don't worry, Charlotte. I never turn down an offer." He growls as his other hand slithers its way onto my stomach.

The guards are laughing now; some even wolf whistle and make crude hand gestures. I can practically feel him smirking as his hand slowly travels upwards towards my chest. His hand squeezes tighter on my throat, his short nails digging into my skin. Instead of fighting, a thought pops into my head. I quickly estimate how close his head is to mine, push my head forward, and with all my power, send it crashing backwards against Vaas.

I don't manage to hit his head, but I do connect my head with his nose. Vaas hisses in pain and his hands are gone from my body. Regret builds up in me as Vaas doesn't scream and shout, but he laughs.

"I like it when they put up a fight."

Out of nowhere, his foot kicks the cage hard, nearly cracking the bamboo.

"But I can fight back, and I can do more serious damage!"

He appears next to Bradley's dead body again, and I can see the dribble of blood leaking from his nose. He snorts and spits out some blood, pointing to two random guards. "Clean up this fucking mess."

But instead of walking off like I expected him to, he calls for more guards. Three more come a few seconds later, their guns hanging lazily from their hands as they smoke a cigarette. Though when they come closer, I smell the stale stench, and realise it's not a normal cigarette. The three of them laugh, all their expressions looking 'relaxed' and their eyes bloodshot. Vaas frowns and takes the 'cigarette' off them.

"What the fuck? I told you to save this for later. Don't smoke this shit while you're taking care of the hostages, dumb-fucks!" Vaas snaps.

One of them chuckles. "Okay, sorry boss."

"Fucking hell." Vaas sighs, rubbing his temples. "Just take them two away; we'll deal with them four later." Vaas orders, pointing at Peter and Trevor.

The three guards open the cage door and untie both Peter and Trevor's hands. They shove their guns into Peter and Trevor's backs as they drag them out. I get a glimpse of Peter's face as he looks over at Tammy, and I see his eyes are red raw from crying. Tammy and Grace start to panic while Sarah just hangs her head, silent tears streaming down her face. I watch as our two friends are dragged off into the trees.

So now, there's only Vaas and the four of us left, which leaves me uneasy.

He looks over at us all and smiles. "Your turn will come, don't you worry your pretty little heads."

With a wave, he turns on his heel and strides off into the trees, following where Peter and Trevor had been taken.

All is quiet when Vaas finally disappears into the shadows of the jungle. I look around, seeing no one about. My eyes see the pool of blood where Bradley was killed, and I cringer before my eyes rest on the small tiger that is now sitting and staring at me. It's big wide eyes look back at me with his pink tongue hanging out of its mouth. I guess in this moment, I'm being treated like the tiger; like an animal.

I swallow back a sob and rest my head against the cage.


	5. Chapter Four

**Disclaimer: I do not own Far Cry 3, I just own Charlotte and Co. WARNING! Rated T for swearing, violence, mentions of drug use/abuse and adult themes.**

**A/N: I'm sorry for not updating like… TWO months ago. Firstly, I got a HUGE writers block, and then I've been so stressed out with some personal issues so I didn't have the energy to write. So, this chapter is extra-long to make up for the long wait!**

Chapter Four

The sun glares its rays of heat, the air so thick it's almost hard to breathe. Distant voices and birds calling to each other are the only sounds I hear. My mouth is so dry that my tongue feels like rough sandpaper against the inside of my cheeks. I've long lost the feeling in my arms, the rope no longer burning. My shirt sticks to my sweaty body, leaving my skin irritating. I shake my chocolate coloured hair out of my eyes but it just clings to my forehead.

It's been a few hours since Peter and Trevor were taken, since Bradley was shot. I shudder as the gunshot replays in my head. Sarah had stopped crying about half an hour ago and had passed out, probably overworked herself. Grace is drifting in and out of consciousness, delusional from the heat.

Tammy and I are the only ones that are awake, though we can hardly do much since we're both bound and gagged. I muster out a sigh as I stare at her. She looks up at me, sadness in her eyes. Her foot touches mine, the toe of her shoe tapping against mine. It's the only contact we can have with each other. Every now and then, Tammy will rub her foot against mine. I guess it's comforting in a way, to at least have some connection with her.

"_Hey, watch them two! Vaas says we'll need them soon!" _I suddenly hear one of the pirates call in the distance.

I can't be sure, but I think he's talking about Peter and Trevor. Over the past hour, I've heard different pirates shouting to each other to take 'shifts' watching two hostages, obviously Peter and Trevor.

_Unless there's more._

The thought dawns on me. Could there be more hostages; tourists like us? I haven't seen anyone else around here, but then maybe they could be where Peter and Trevor are. How many could there be? In fact, how long has this been going on; the kidnapping, ransoms, selling, and killing? Surely, someone would have noticed this if it's been going on for years… right?

As all these questions invade my mind, I scratch at the rope around my wrists. The thought of being sold to some sicko like Vaas is slowly sinking in. I'm most likely going to become a sex slave. Bile rises up in my throat at the thought of it. Instead of vomiting though, I let out a shriek and pull at the rope.

I can't believe this is happening.

One of my friends is dead, I'll probably never see the rest of my friends and sister again, and I'll be some mad-man's fuck toy for the rest of my life, though I probably won't even survive a few months. And it's all because of that bastards fault. _Vaas_.

I suddenly flinch as my left thumb is caught in between the ropes, causing a pinch of pain to shoot through it. Curses swim through my head as I pull it free, bending it to get rid of the pain. Ever since I dislocated it when I was sixteen, it's always been a little tender than my right one. However, ever since I dislocated it, I can pop it out of its socket and back in whenever; it's a classic party trick of mine.

I stop as my thoughts dawn on me, and I rethink them over. An idea suddenly forms in my head; an idea that can get us out.

Tammy's eyes land on my hands as I take a firm grip on my left thumb. She turns her head as her eyebrows knit together in confusion. I take a few deep breaths, mentally preparing myself for what I'm about to do. I've done this dozens of times, so it should go right… hopefully.

My knees lift up, coming up to my chest as I dig the toe of my sneakers into the dirt. My teeth clamp onto the piece of cloth in my mouth, and I twist and pull on my thumb.

A sickening 'pop' slices through the silence as my thumb comes out of its socket. My teeth nearly tear through the gag as I groan loudly. I hear Tammy squeal in surprise as the other two bolt up awake. All of them stare at me with the classic 'deer-caught-in-headlights' look, but I just shake my head and look up. My thumb sits in an awkward angle, pointed more inwards and resting flat against the palm of my hand. It's not a pretty sight, and it hurts like hell, but it's worked how I exactly thought it would.

The rope now feels and looks looser, and a gap has formed where my thumb should be. I take another deep breath and start to wriggle my hand out of the rope. It works, as the rope starts sliding around my wrist. It hurts when the rope gets to my now pulsing thumb, but I grin and bear it. The rope tightens slightly, but with one last hard tug, my arm flops to the ground.

The four of us freeze and gasp from behind our gags as we stare at my arm as if it is an alien. I turn to look at Tammy, who meets my gaze. Her eyes light up and she starts pointing to my other hand. I shake my arm, flopping it like a fish as I try to get all the blood flowing again. I notice a slight bruise forming on my hand, but I ignore it and I use my fingers to untie my other bound hand.

Relief floods through me as my other arm falls free. Sarah and Grace start squealing, but I shush them as I realise that we haven't escaped danger just yet. I look around us, checking for anyone that could be coming, but I see no one, and everything is quiet. Turning my attention back to the task, the stabbing pain in my hand flares up again. I bite onto the gag again and push my thumb back into its socket. A small scream escapes my mouth as I feel the bones in my hand grind together. It's back in it is socket, but from the looks of it, I've positioned it wrong.

_Shit._

Ignoring my thumb for now, I rip my filthy gag off and quickly crawl over to Tammy.

"We've got to be quick and quiet." I whisper, my voice coarse.

I untie Tammy's hands, trying to stop the squeaks of pain slipping from my mouth every time I graze my thumb. Once her hands are free and her gag is gone, we both untie Grace and Sarah, who both start losing control.

"How are we going to escape?"

"Why Bradley, why did he have to be taken?"

"Where's Peter and Trevor? Are they dead?"

"Oh, God! We're going to DIE!"

I grab both Grace and Sarah by their shirts, hissing at the sharp pains running through my hand.

"Will you two shut the fuck up!" I snap, though regret slightly as both of their bottom lips tremble. I sigh. "Listen, we need be quiet, otherwise we'll get caught. We have to try to find Peter and Trevor, and once we have, we can get the hell out of here and get help."

Both of them nod as I let go of their shirts, Tammy putting a hand on my shoulder. "Are you sure we can do this? I mean, look at your hand…" She says, pointing to my now swelled hand.

"It's fine, I'll deal with it later. Right now, we just need to find Peter and Trevor, and get the hell outta here." I say, standing up and moving to the cage door.

My legs feel like jelly as I stumble towards to the cage door, and I grip onto the bamboo with my good hand for support. I wait a few moments for the blood to flow through my legs before moving on.

I frown as I realise that the door is locked with only a piece of rope, but I silently thank my lucky stars that it wasn't a chain or a padlock. With a quick pull on the rope, it untangles from around the pieces of bamboo and falls to the floor. I look back at my sister and friends, crouching to the floor.

"Ready?" I ask.

All three of them nod and copy my position. I hold up a finger to my lips, telling them to be quiet, and take a step out the cage. Even though the cage is made only out of bamboo and practically see-through, I feel as though I have taken a step out of a concrete prison. Everything is silent as the others follow me, but I don't know if the silence should calm or worry me.

A whimper comes from behind me and I spin around quickly. Sarah has stopped dead in her tracks, not facing any of us as she stares into space. I follow her gaze to realise she's looking at the spot where Bradley was murdered; where the pool of his blood has dried up into the dirt and leafs.

My hand reaches out to her, softly touching her shoulder. Her head turns to me, her eyes wet and red.

"Come on, we have to go." I whisper.

Just as Tammy and Grace take hold of her hands, a bunch of twigs snapping comes from in front of us. I freeze and still like a statue, feeling the other three stop behind me.

"What was that?" I hear Grace whisper from behind me, he voice laced with panic.

I don't have time to answer her though, as a few more twigs snap in front of us and two figures appear from the trees in front of us. My heart stops.

"Peter!" Tammy shouts, running past me and into a sweating Peter's arms.

Trevor appears from behind Peter, and Grace runs into him, nearly knocking him over as he embraces her. "Oh my God! I thought you had been killed!" She cries, her hands clamping around Trevor's body.

"I was so scared, I thought I was never going to see you again." Tammy sighs as Peter kisses her forehead.

I stare at the two of them, getting up from my crouched position. Both Peter and Trevor are sweating and out of breath, as if they've been running a marathon. Droplets of blood stain their dirty shirts and their covered in bruises and scratches, Peter with a swollen, black eye. Both of them look like they've been dragged through hell and back.

"How the hell did you escape?" I ask.

Both Peter and Trevor look at me, Tammy frowning as well. "Yeah, how did you get away from that psycho?" She asks.

Peter quickly looks around and suddenly puts his hand around Tammy's waist. "Listen, we haven't got time to explain. That guy, Vaas- or whatever the fuck his name is- is a fucking freak." He mutters darkly, pulling Tammy in the opposite direction.

Trevor lightly pushes Grace behind them, pulling Sarah and I along as well. "We need to get out of here fast, before he finds out we've escaped. " Trevor says.

"Why… what else has he done?" Sarah asks, her voice barely more than a whisper.

Peter stops momentarily, staring at the ground before looking at us all. "You don't want to know."

Before we can continue, a howl of anger echoes through the entire jungle. Birds burst from the trees and the ground vibrates slightly, causing us all to freeze on the spot. My heart stops as I recognise the voice, the voice that makes a shudder go through my entire body, that makes me cringe. It's his voice; Vaas.

"_You stupid motherfucker!"_

"Oh shit…" Peter whispers, his eyes wide as we all realise what has happened.

"_Find them, NOW!"_

"RUN!" I scream.

And we do.

All of us take off sprinting out of the camp and into the never-ending wave of trees. Peter takes the lead, all of us relying on him to lead us to safety. Unlike last time, I'm straggling behind everyone else, my body too weak to push me to my full limit. I feel my legs wobble as I try to keep my footing, leaping over jagged rocks and moulded logs. My head spins, and it seems the trees suddenly grow about ten feet taller, towering over me. It feels like my friends are running at a hundred miles an hour and I'm not moving at all.

I shake off the feeling, pushing myself more as everything slowly goes back to normal. I know I shouldn't, but temptation get the better of me as I look behind me to see if Vaas is chasing us. All I see is the thick wall of trees, but all of them are vibrating from the stampede of Vaas and his men not so far behind us. Even though I can't see them, I can hear their shouts and war cries, vicious barking from the hounds with them.

My foot suddenly gets caught on something, and I go crashing to the jungle floor. My good arm takes the brunt of the fall, but I feel a sharp rock dig into my thigh and my face scrapes against a tree, leaving small splinters and my skin peeling off. I spit out some dirt, and possibly blood, as a strangled scream escapes my mouth. The other's haven't stopped though; they're even further away from me, and Vaas is closer.

I push myself up of the ground, cursing when I lean on my sore hand, and start running again, my body moaning with pain. Branches slap my face as I run, my bare arms and legs being cut and scratched.

"Tammy!" I scream, but I get no reply from her.

Instead, my stomach twists as I hear a voice in the distance behind me reply.

"You can run, Charlotte, but you can't run from _me_!"

Hearing Vaas' voice so close to me makes my whole body squirm. The adrenaline is pumping so fast through my body that I shake out of control. I can barely see my sister, only just the back of Trevor and Sarah, but I keep running, as now the trees are starting to thin out.

Soon, I'm limping through a clearing. At the very end of the clearing is a giant wall of rocks and boulders which lead up to the rest of the jungle, apparently the only escape root as all the others are climbing it. A small sense of joy fills my chest, though it is overshadowed as I realise they're too far ahead.

"Tammy!" I scream, stumbling over a rock.

I see her turn around as she reaches the top off the wall. "Charlotte, run!" She screams.

I try to, but I feel my body getting weaker. My breathing is heavy, my chest feeling tight. Tammy tries to climb back down, but I see Peter throwing her to the jungle up ahead, telling her to go. Sarah is the last one up the rock by the time I reach halfway through the clearing. The shouts behind me are booming; obviously close.

Peter is the only one left, waiting for me by the time I reach the wall. I fall against it, trying to catch my breath.

"Come on, Charlotte!" Peter shouts from the top.

I look up, surprised by how taller it looks up close. It's at least fifth-teen to twenty feet tall. I quickly look behind me, my stomach dropping as I can now see the pirates emerging from the jungle one by one, all kinds of weapons in their hands. Gripping onto a chunk of rock with my good hand, I start to climb the wall, screaming as I use my bad hand.

I let go, clinging to the wall with my good hand. "I can't do it, Peter!"

"Yes you can, Charlotte!" Peter shouts, looking over. "Hurry, they're coming!"

I suck in as much air as I can through my nose, gritting my teeth as I use my sore hand once again. The toes of my sneakers dig in the small holes in between rocks, pushing me higher up the wall. Peter reaches his arm out as I climb closer, shouting encouragements to me. Just as I'm a few feet away from him, I misplace my footing, which causes me to slip. I slip down the wall, but manage to catch myself with my bad hand.

"Peter, help me!" I scream, pain shooting through me as I hang from a jagged rock.

He stares at me, eyes wide, as he lowers himself slightly. I start to climb up and but slip again, but I notice instead of helping me, Peter has stopped. I feel myself slowly slipping as I stare at him in confusion. The pirates aren't that far now, as I hear their footsteps coming closer.

"Peter, what are you doing?" I ask as he looks at the crowd. "HELP ME!"

My heart suddenly breaks at what he does next. He looks at me, and then backs away.

"Peter!"

Peter stops to look at me, his facial expression torn. His eyebrows knit together in sadness as he looks at me. "I-I'm so sorry…" He whispers, before taking off into the jungle.

I feel my stomach and mouth drop, clinging to the wall for dear life. "Peter, come back! Peter… PETER!"

As I scream, my hands slip from the rocks, and I fall. Everything goes into slow motion as I drop through the air. My limbs flail about as I stare into the clear sky, the sun beaming back at me. My back collides with the Earth with a thud, the air forced out of me. Blackness surrounds me as I close my eyes, the sound of my beating heart filling my ears. My whole body screams painfully at me, my blood boiling as it rushes through me. I struggle for air, my ribs crushing my insides as I attempt to take a breath. All I can muster is a high-pitched whine, not noticing the footsteps around me.

"See, I told you; you can't out run me."

My eyes snap open as I hear Vaas chuckle, a silent scream coming from me as I realise he's straddling me, his legs either side of my chest. His hand comes up to caress my bruised and scratched face. I whimper when his fingers roughly touch the cuts on my face.

"Looks like you hurt yourself real bad, Hermana." He whispers, his face coming closer for a better inspection as he now softly touches it.

His face is inches from mine when his eyes connect with mine, and he suddenly smiles. "You've hurt your hand as well."

I feel his big hand grab my wrist, bringing my injured hand up to his face. He's silent as he examines it carefully, his eyes trained on my hand. Finally, he tuts while shaking his head. "You've set this all wrong, Charlotte. Your hand will be fucked up if you don't fix this, you know."

Vaas suddenly looks at me, his eyes piercing. "You dislocated your hand on purpose, didn't you, hermana." He asks, though he already knows the answer.

I don't reply to him, staring at him as he chuckles, looking up at his men. Out of nowhere, his other hand clamps around my throat, roughly bringing my face close to his as he snarls at me. "You're a smart little bitch, aren't you?"

"Fuck…you." I manage to croak out.

A smile appears on his face, and he lets go of both my throat and hand. I gasp for breath as gets up off me, standing above me.

"I had better fix your hand, Charlotte. Don't worry, it won't hurt." He looks away from me and to his men. "Hold her."

Suddenly, I feel multiple sets of rough and dirty hands on my body, making me cringe. They hold down my arm, legs, and chest. My eyes go wide and I try to thrash about as Vaas looks at me with a smirk. He puts his boot on my bad arm, holding it to the ground.

"Hold still, hermana."

My thumb is suddenly yanked forcefully from its socket, which causes me to let out a blood-curdling scream. Tears roll down my face as me squeezes my throbbing thumb and I feel my bones twist and grind together as Vaas sets it in place.

"There we go, Charlotte. All better now." He smirks as he and his men let go of me.

I curl up into a ball, collecting leafs and dirt in my hair as cradle my sore hand, sobs coming from my body.

"Carry her back to the camp." I hear Vaas order, and I feel a pair of arms wrap around me and pick me up. I cringe inwardly.

"Vaas, what about the others?" One of his men asks.

From the corner of my eye, I see Vaas smirk, his eyes then settling on me. "Don't worry about them; the jungle will eat them alive…"

**Well, what did you think? Again, I'm so sorry this took ages to upload. I should be updating regularly from now on.**


	6. Chapter Five

**Disclaimer: I do not own Far Cry 3, I just own Charlotte and Co. WARNING! Rated T for swearing, violence, mentions of drug use/abuse and adult themes.**

**A/N: Can I just say, thank you all for reading/reviewing/favoriting/following this story, it really means so much to me. Anyway, this chapter is the longest one I've wrote so far… I kind of got carried away with it. Oh well :)**

Chapter Five

One week. Seven horrible, gruelling days. That is how long I have been kept here, in this prison, but after each day, it's beginning to seem more like hell. And Vaas is Lucifer himself.

I was carried back here, to the camp, after being re-captured. Vaas had brought about fifty men with him, including five Pit Bulls, at least I think they were Pit Bulls. The dogs were muscular, bigger than any other dogs I've ever seen. Their black, beady eyes watched me as the pirates took me back to the camp. I wouldn't have stood a chance of escaping Vaas and his men again. The dogs would have shredded me to pieces.

When they brought me back, I was thrown into a run down shack, where I am now. It's only small, about ten feet by twelve feet. There are no windows, so I can't look out at anything. The whole room is bare, everything stripped of colour. Grey seems to be the main colour scheme; grey chipped walls and grey concrete floor. Patches of dried up blood on the floor are the only splash of colour. Besides the thin, filthy mattress, that has been my bed for the past week, there is nothing else in this shack. The only light source is the single bulb that hands from the ceiling, but it's only dim when lit.

The only time I get to see the outside world is when one of the pirates brings me my food or takes me to the 'bathroom', the word bathroom being used loosely here.

I honestly don't know how I've survived; my body is so weak. The food they bring me consists of either bad fruit or some sort of mushy grub. Whatever it is, I eat it, but I'm always hungry afterwards. To top it off, I am filthy. Layers and layers of grime and sweat have built up on my skin, leaving it dirty. My hair hangs limply around my face, greasy and knotty. I'm still in the same clothes from when I got captured, which are ruined, so God knows what I smell of.

"Shit..." I suddenly whine as my stomach rumbles painfully.

I clutch my groaning belly, trying to sooth the pain by rubbing it. My body slumps on its side, landing on the uncomfortable mattress as I bring my knees up to my chest. Another small whine fills the silent room as I lean on my sore hand.

I hate to admit it, but after Vaas 'fixed' my hand, it stopped aching. It's actually healed quite nicely. Now, just mainly around my thumb, it's covered in deep dark purple and blue bruises, although some have turned into yellowish colours. I also have a nasty bruise on my upper arm thanks to Vaas holding it down with his boot.

Vaas.

The name is like deadly venom to me. Every time I think of him, my chest and stomach tighten in anger. The strange thing is though, I haven't seen Vaas much. He has only visited me three times since I have been here, and that was only to check up on me. In fact, I have not seen much of his men, the pirates, either. I only see them when one either brings me my food or takes me out. Other than that, I don't see them. I am glad, obviously, but I expected that they would beat me, torture me, or even...

I cringe, pushing them thoughts out of my head before I have time to dwell on them. Instead, thoughts of my sister drift into my mind. My heart swells as I think of my sister. Every day, I think of my sister. Questions, that go unanswered, circle my head every hour. Did she escape? Has she found help? Is she even alive? Tears well up in my eyes, blurring my vision, but those tears of sadness soon turn to hate as I think of Peter.

Anger bubbles up inside of me, my stomach feeling like the fiery pits of hell as white heat flashes through my veins. I still can't believe it. That son of a bitch left me! Peter left me for dead just to save his own skin! I wonder what he told Tammy and the others. Do they think I'm dead? Does Tammy even know that her perfect boyfriend abandoned me?

My whole body shakes with vicious rage, but I'm too weak to lash out. I can't throw anything because there's nothing to throw. There's nothing I can do to release my built up anger. All I can do is turn on my back and let out a pathetic screech of anger.

"Bastard!"

I feel tears prick at my eyes, but I blink them back. No, I can't cry. I've done enough crying and all it has done is made me weak.

A rattle of a lock and a sudden creak fills the room. Brightness invades the small room, illuminating everything. I squeeze my eyes shut, moaning at the sudden harsh light. As my sight adjusts, I feel the hot sunlight that's coming from outside rest on my skin. When everything returns to normal, I see a shadowy figure in the doorway.

"Ah, chica! I thought I heard you're voice."

My body freezes as I hear footsteps come closer.

"I'm glad you're finally awake," Vaas says. "Because you sleep way too fucking much, you know."

It only takes me a few seconds before I'm sitting up with my back against the wall furthest away from him, my eyes following his everything movement.

His facial expression falls slightly, his smile fading as he tuts. "Aw, come on, Charlotte, don't act like this. I even brought you a gift."

I never noticed anything in his hands before, but now he raises a wooden bowl and a glass of orange liquid. My eyebrows knit together in confusion, but my attention goes back to Vaas as he takes a step closer.

"Aren't you going to ask what it is?" He questions, smiling like a small child as he bends down in the middle of the room.

My eyes glare at him as he stares back at me, but I can't help my curiosity, and I take a look at the bowl and glass he sets down on the floor. I feel my eyes widen and my jaw drop slightly as I realise the bowl is overflowing with freshly cooked meat. My stomach growls silently as I stare at the meat, licking my lips.

"Wild boar with freshly squeezed orange juice." Vaas comments, his voice almost teasing.

I stare at the food and juice as if it's a giant feast. Steam rises of the browned meat, swirling into the cool air. A silent whimper comes from me as the smell hits me, causing my mouth to water. I lick my lips again, taking another sniff of the delicious smell coming from the bowl. My attention draws back to Vaas as he crouches next to the bowl, his hands gesturing to it.

"Go on, Charlotte, have it. I know my men haven't exactly fed you properly." He smiles evilly, and his eyes turn dark. "I _know_ you're hungry."

My hand reaches out as I look back to the bowl, but then I stop. Why is he doing this? _He's poisoned it. He tricking you, don't do it!_ I listen to the tiny voice in the back of my mind, and lean back into the wall, determined not to give in to him. That evil smile is still on his face, his teeth gleaming. I glare at him, sending him a message, but it doesn't work.

After another whiff of the meat, my stomach moans so painfully I double over. I cry out slightly, which causes Vaas to chuckle.

"See; you can't resist it." He laughs. "Eat it."

_No, don't give in! He's testing you!_

It's no use though. I'm already on my hands and knees, crawling like a dog to the food. As soon as I'm near the bowl and glass, I dig in. My fingers pick at the tender meat, shoving as much as I can into my mouth. I moan as I feel the juices from the delicious meat run down my throat. I've never realised how tasty pork is until now. Beside me, I hear Vaas get up and walk around me.

"Wow, my men have really been harsh on you, haven't they? You've lost a bit of weight, hermana." Vaas states, his fingers suddenly running roughly across my stomach and rib cage.

Usually, I would have shrunk away from his touch, but I look down to where his hand was. My eyes widen in surprise as I notice my ribs are a bit more prominent. I turn back to the food in front of me, shoving some more into my mouth.

"Don't worry though, you'll soon get back your... _curves_." He chuckles, lightly smacking my butt. "I'll make sure of it."

I pull away from him, sitting up sharply as I glare daggers at him. As I shove the last piece of meat in my mouth, I pick up the cold class of juice, bringing it to my dry lips. The fresh orange juice is gone within seconds.

Vaas laughs, coming over to pick up the empty bowl. "Would you like more, Charlotte?" He asks.

_No, don't do it._ My stomach growls in protest to the tiny voice in my head, and I sigh, disconnecting our eye contact as I look down.

"Yes." I mumble, too ashamed to look at him. Why am I doing this, he's winning.

"I'm sorry, Charlotte, I can't hear you." I can hear the smugness in his voice, and restrain myself to yell at him.

"I said fucking yes!" I mutter louder.

A few seconds later, a large hand twists into my hair, pulling it back roughly. I yelp out loudly, trying to pull away, but my face is forced to look up at Vaas as he pulls my head back. His dark eyes pierce through mine, his face set into a snarl as he growls at me.

"You _really_ need to learn some manners, Charlotte."

As he says this, I feel something cold and sharp scrape lightly down my face. From the corner of my eye, I see a flash of silver and realise it's his hunting knife; probably the same one that hit Bradley. I feel the thick blade dance around my skin, slowly digging in harder as it makes random patterns along my cheek and then down to my neck. Even though the blade is cold, hot trails are left behind it, as if it's burnt my skin.

"Now," Vaas says, causing me to meet his gaze. "Would you like some more, Charlotte?"

The tip of the blade stops at my jugular, feeling like ice as it digs in slightly. My breath catches in my throat. Amusement fills Vaas' eyes as he waits for my answer. His hot breath ghosts over my face, leaving goose bumps along my skin. I swallow the lump in my throat, feeling the blade move along my neck.

"Y-yes, please." I manage to choke out.

The corners of his lips flick up and his eyes light up, that glint shining brightly. "Much better." He murmurs.

I expect him to pull away, but he doesn't. Instead, his face comes closer. His forehead rests on mine, making our noses and lips mere centimetres away. He smiles as he trails the knife up to my chin and then to rest on my bottom lip. The point digs into the soft flesh, pulling it down slightly. I feel the blood drain my face as he smiles, the glint in his eye gleaming.

"You know, you have very nice lips." He whispers, the knife playing with my bottom lip.

Just as I go lightheaded, his hand is gone from my hair as well has the knife, and he pulls back. I sit there in shock as he stands up straight, walking over to the door.

"Carlos! We need more meat and juice here!" He shouts, tucking his knife into his belt..

Unable to move, my eyes never leave Vaas as I sit there. My skin on my face and neck still feel like they're burning, which sends a shiver down my back. I feel paralysed, my whole body numb, as I process what has just happened. _He's toying with you, teasing you._ The sound of a plate dropping in front of me causes me to jump out of my skin. I look up to Vaas standing there, a shit-eating grin on his face as he holds another glass of orange juice.

"Eat." He says, though it's more like a command.

I don't move, I can't move. I feel as though if I move even an inch, I'll bring up what I've just eaten. Vaas frowns and kicks the bowl of new meat closer to me.

"Hey! You wanted more, so eat it. Now!"

Shakily, I lift my hand up and bring the bowl into my lap, not looking at Vaas once. My fingers pick at the meat first before I eat it, not as eager as before. I feel his eyes watching my every move as I chew on the meat, making me feel uncomfortable. Suddenly, someone barges into the doorway, stopping when he catch the sight of Vaas and I. The pirate looks between us for a second before turning his full attention to Vaas.

"Hoyt's here, boss." The pirate says.

Vaas nods, not taking his eyes off me. "Bring him here." He replies.

Once the guard is gone, silence lies between us again. Then, Vaas slowly moves towards the door, still looking at me. He stares at me as if he's thinking about something, which sends my stomach into knots. I'm not so hungry now.

"I'll be back in a minute, Charlotte." He mutters before walking out.

When he's gone, I let out a shaky breath that I've been holding in. I drop the half-empty bowl, quickly snatching the glass of juice. My mouth feels so dry, so I gulp it down. What _the hell_ has just happened? I replay the scene between Vaas and I, my spine tingling as I remember how close he was and his hot breath over my face. My fingers touch my throat where Vaas held the knife.

Crossing my legs, I put my head in my hands, my fingers rubbing soothing circles on my temples. My breathing slows down, but my heart still pounds in my chest. I can't believe I gave in to him. How stupid can I be? Defeat racks through my whole body, but I swallow back the sobs that are trying to break free. I'm going to die here, if I'm not sold off that is. Thinking about it, I'd rather greet death with open arms than get sold to someone. Wait, what am I even thinking?

I need to get out of here. Soon.

"You weren't lying when you said she's a pretty thing."

The unfamiliar voice rings out through the silent room, bringing me back to reality. My head snaps up to see someone, a man, I don't recognise, but the look of him unsettles my nerves.

The man's dress code is simple, a coloured, button-up shirt with a black jacket over it. He wears dark blue pants with black work boots. A gold chain hangs around his neck, his chest on show. His hair is swept back with some kind of grease, making it shine in the light. A few strands of it fall onto his creased forehead. A hard expression is set on his face as he looks at me, his eyes analysing me. I notice as well he also has glint in them, just like Vaas, only this one seems more sinister.

Vaas appears from behind him, crossing his arms over his chest as his back leans against the door, staring at me as well.

"I told you, hermano." He replies, smirking when I look at him.

As 'Hoyt', I'm guessing that's his name anyway, takes a step forward, I shuffle back slightly.

Hoyt nods, his head turning as he continues to stare at me. "Ah yes, she'll sell for a hell of an amount. I've got a few buyers requesting for nice, innocent looking ones." Hoyt says, a small smile appearing on his face.

My heart plummets all the way to the pit of my stomach. I'm definitely going to get sold then. I feel the pork I just ate rising up to my throat, threating to spill everywhere.

I notice though that Vaas' face has dropped, and he brings his hand up to scratch the back of his head. "That's the thing though, Hoyt; she's not for sale."

Both Hoyt's heads and mine snap to Vaas, my mouth wide open while Hoyt frowns. He takes a step closer to Vaas, and even though he's few inches smaller than Vaas and not as near muscular, the anger radiating off him would intimidate anyone.

"What?" Hoyt growls.

"She's not for sale, Hoyt." Vaas repeats casually, his eyes flickering to me before looking back at Hoyt, who seems to have gone red with anger.

"So, let me get this fucking straight, Vaas." He snaps. "You let a group of tourists escape your fucking compound, instantly losing me money. Then, when you manage to recapture the most expensive one, you decide not to fucking sell her! What are you gonna do with her, and better yet, how are you going to get back the fucking money you lost?" By now, Hoyt is yelling right in Vaas' face, using his finger to poke Vaas in the chest.

Surprisingly, Vaas just chuckles, using his hand to push Hoyt's hand away. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Calm down, Hoyt."

When Hoyt backs off, he glares at Vaas, waiting for him to explain.

"Listen, I'm keeping her for a reason." Vaas says, side glancing me before looking back at Hoyt. "I'm also going to get your money back. In fact, I'm going to get double of it back."

Hoyt's expression relaxes, and stops and stares at the ground for a moment before turning back to Vaas. "And how are you going to do that?" He asks.

The dark, evil chuckle that comes from Vaas makes my whole body tingle, the hairs on the back of my neck standing up.

"I have a plan." Vaas pushes himself off the door. "Come, we'll talk more business in my office."

Hoyt walks out the door, giving one last glance at me before disappearing. Vaas goes to close the door, but he sticks his head in, that grin plastered on his face.

"Oh, and Charlotte, I'll be back later to have a little chat. Bye-bye." He says, and then disappears.

I sit there, my heart racing, the blood rushing to my head. The same thing runs through my head repeatedly; I'm not being sold. Should I be happy? I mean, what does that mean to me? Hoyt said I was the most expensive, so why is Vaas keeping me? A flood of emotions rushes to me all at once, and I bury my head in my hands. Does this mean Vaas has something more sinister planned for me?

As I swallow back a sob, the door opens. My head shoots up to meet the eyes of a young boy. His head peaks in, until he fully stands inside. I frown as I look him up and down.

The boy looks only about sixteen, maybe seventeen. His skin is dark brown, big, wide eyes matching in colour. Thick, black dreadlocks hang around his face, ending on his shoulders. His facial expression is soft, almost clueless, and I'm about to ask him who is he when a sudden realisation hits me. I notice he's wearing the same attire as Vaas' men; dark shirts, green pants, combat boots. As the kid enters the room, I see he's holding a heavy gun in his arms. He's a pirate.

Christ, he's just a kid though.

"Vaas wants you to get cleaned up." He says with a thick Jamaican accent. Even his voice sounds like it's only just broke.

I soon realise I've been staring at him in silence, and he looks at me, waiting for a response.

"What?" I say, highly confused by the situation.

The kid sighs. "Vaas wants you to get washed, said you needed 'freshening up' or something like that." He replies.

I frown at him, feeling rather angry and confused. Before I reply though, I stop to think. I look down at myself, cringing, as my skin is patchy with dirt. My clothes are stained with blood and other things, my shirt slowly turning into rags. To be honest, I could do with a shower; I feel like crap. At least this way, I'll be a step closer to getting back to normal, hopefully adding to my chances of escaping.

"Okay." I say, pushing myself off the hard floor.

The blood rushes to me head, causing me to go dizzy. I stumble, catching myself on the wall. The young pirate looks at me from the door, pointing his gun at me as I walk slowly towards him. As I reach the door, I look down at him, uncertain of the gun.

"Is that really necessary?" I ask, my eyes darting to the rifle.

He looks at me and then down to his gun. I expect him to be vicious with me, like the other pirates, but surprisingly, he sighs. "Sorry… it's compulsory, y'know, in case you decide to run away."

Bewildered by his attitude and expression, I nod my head, following him as he leads me outside. This kid may be a pirate, but he certainly doesn't act like one.

The natural sunlight blinds me, little black dots filling my vision. Once my sight returns to normal, I follow the young boy through the compound, staying close to him as I attract the attention from every single pirate in the camp. They all stare at me as I walk by, some not even being discrete about it as they even stop what they're doing and look directly at me. The whole camp is quiet as we walk by, and I'm thankful for when the young pirate leads me to a more secluded area with a few small shacks in them.

The shacks are only small, made with planks of wood for walls and a tin roof. I stare at them questionably as the pirate opens the door to the first one, looking in it before turning to me.

"Sorry it's not like the ones in America." He mumbles. "It's the best we got here."

As his big eyes look into mine, guilt shining in them, I feel a pang in my heart. How is he a pirate? Firstly, he's just a kid, barely even an adult. Secondly, he just doesn't act like a pirate. He seems to act as if he doesn't want to do this; he's so apologetic about everything. I wonder if he's being forced to do this... wait, am I feeling sorry him?

A weird sensation comes over me, and for the first time since I've been kept prisoner, I smile. It's only a small smile, and it lasts for a couple of seconds, but it's still a smile.

"It's okay." I reply, walking in as he opens the door for me.

My face scrunches together as a sour smell invades my nostrils. I look around the small shack, rather disgusted that this even considered a shower. The room is dimly lit, the only light source being the natural light coming through the holes and cracks in the roof. Even the shower is disappointing; it's just a small, rusted metal shower head hanging from the wall. Two buckets of water sit on the floor below it.

"I'll be out here." The pirate suddenly says, before closing the door.

I sigh as the door closes, but then I realise a suitcase is by the door. After staring at it, I realise it's my suitcase. Vaas must have sent his men to get it from the cabin. I bend down to look through it. It's been checked, because everything is a mess and some of my stuff has been taken away. Great.

I pull out my shampoo bottles and a towel, resting them on the case as I stand up. I quickly strip my clothes off, peeling my shirt of my sweaty body. Once I'm fully naked, I twist at the knobs of the shower, jumping when a spurt of ice cold water hits my skin. The water isn't that powerful and it's freezing cold, but it's still a shower. My whole body shivers as I step under the falling water, my eyes closing.

Firstly, I grab my bottle of body wash and scrub myself clean. It takes me a few minutes to wash my skin clean, but in the process of doing so, I've managed to scrub my skin red raw, but the cool water helps sooth it. Before doing my hair, I quickly grab my razor; I might as well shave if this is the only chance I'm going to get a shower. Next, I tackle my hair, pouring nearly half the bottle on my head.

As I scrub my hair, the water suddenly cuts out. "Shit." I mutter, grabbing one of the buckets.

After using both buckets to rinse my hair, I'm finally clean. A sense of relief washes over me as I wrap my towel around my body. I look down at my skin, seeing it's back to its normal tanned colour and thankfully not covered in dirt. Putting on clean underwear and bra, I rummage through my bag for some clothes, finally picking a pair of jeans and a tank top. I slip them on, feeling my wet hair drip onto my shirt as I put on my pair of timberland boots. I brought these boots because we were going to go hiking up a mountain; I guess now they'll come in handy for when I'm running through the jungle.

The door suddenly swings open, and I expect to see the young pirate at the door. When I look up though, I realise it's someone worse. Vaas stands there, a grin on his face as he looks at me.

"You scrub up well, Charlotte." He says.

I slam my case shut, anger building up inside of me as I stand up. I'm sick of his shit, his little games. All I want is some answers from him.

"Why aren't you selling me?" I ask.

His smile widens, and he leans against the door. "Wow, you don't fuck around, do you, Charlotte." He replies, chuckling.

Crossing my arms, I grit my teeth. "Why aren't you selling me?" I repeat, glaring at him.

Vaas chuckles darkly.

"Because, Charlotte-" He pushes himself off the door and towers over me, looking down at me. "-you are _mine_."

**Seriously, this is the longest chapter I've written so far. I just wanted to get everything in it! Also, I'd say there was a **_**teeny, tiny **_**bit of sexual tension in this chapter, what do you think?**


	7. Chapter Six

**Disclaimer: I do not own Far Cry 3, I just own Charlotte and Co. WARNING! Rated T for swearing, violence, mentions of drug use/abuse and adult themes.**

**A/N: Okay, I know this chapter has taken a little bit long to upload and I was going to upload it last week, but the worst thing ever happened… MY INTERNET BROKE! I somehow survived a WEEK without internet connection, but everything is working now, so it's all good. So, here's the next chapter, hope you enjoy it!**

Chapter Six

_You are mine._

It's funny how three simple words could just make you want the ground to open and swallow you down into the darkest depths if the world. You just want to be sick repeatedly until your stomach is sore and retching. I just want this nightmare to end.

_You are mine._

A sigh whispers past my lips as the words circle my head. It's been a day since Vaas announced that I am his 'property' and I am royally pissed off. Who does he think he is? I'm not just some piece of meat that he can claim; I'm a human being. I'm a breathing and living human being with feelings and thoughts, not a toy. I have rights goddammit! Well, I guess that doesn't matter here, in the jungle, away from any kind of civilisation.

That thought scares me; the realisation that I'm all alone out here with these psychotic animals.

_You are mine._

"Shut up." I shout to the voice in my head as my hands rub my temples.

The door to my shack suddenly opens with an obnoxiously loud creak and light floods into the dark room. Squinting at the door, I see Vaas standing there, a fake shocked expression on his face.

"Aw, come on, Charlotte. That's not a very nice way to greet anyone." He says, smiling when I glare at him and turn away. "What's wrong, cat got your tongue now, eh?"

The frown on my face deepens and I feel the heat rising in me. I should know better than to let him get under my skin; I should just keep my mouth shut and ignore him. Instead, though, two words that could end up getting me into serious trouble slip from my mouth.

"Fuck you." I hiss with venom.

His maniacal laugh fills the small room, and I see from the corner of my eye Vaas creeping closer to me. "Have I rattled the little lion's cage?" He asks, laughing once again.

My head falls back against the wall as I let out a frustrated sigh, attempting to block out his laugh. "Please, God-"

Before I can finish my sentence, Vaas crouches down in front of me, his hands wrapped tightly around my wrists. He pins them to the floor as we stare at each other, a scowl on his face.

"God? Do you really think God is going to help you?" He asks. "No, no, Charlotte. On this island, my island, God doesn't exist. I rule this fucking place. I own it and everything on it, including you."

I thrash about under his vice-like grip, growling when he just smirks. "You don't own me. I'm not a fucking toy!" I spit.

"Calm down, my little _leona_. Don't make me teach you some manners again." He threatens, his eyes turning dark as he leans closer.

_Leona_? Is he giving me pet names now?

"I'm not yours, you have no fucking right over me, you son of a bitch!" I shout in his face.

All of my pent up anger from the past few days releases in that sentence, and it felt so good, but Vaas' face morphs into a snarl as he bares his white teeth at me. The anger inside of me quickly dies down and I regret what I just said as Vaas leans close, too close, to my face.

"Oh, so you think I have no right over you?" He asks.

"Yes, I do." I reply, though my voice is not as confident as before.

Vaas chuckles. "Hermana, anything that comes on my island becomes mine; I just usually sell them off."

That smug grin appears on his face again with that glint in his eye, and that sends me tumbling over the edge.

"You really are crazy." I state. "Don't you understand? You don't fucking own me. You never have and you never will own me you crazy, psychotic bastard!" I scream, spitting in his face.

A rough hand suddenly wraps around my throat and squeezes tightly, cutting off my air supply. I feel my heart stop and eyes goes wide as Vaas brings my face up close to his. His eyes blaze with fury as he glares at me, my saliva slowly slipping down his cheek.

"You are so fucking stupid, Charlotte. Do I have to keep reminding you, huh? DO I, CHARLOTTE?" He screams in my face, his hands tightening around my throat, his nails digging into the flesh on my neck. "Listen carefully. You are mine. _Mine_. I do whatever I want with you because you belong to me. I own you. You don't have a say. Do you fucking understand now?" He asks, shaking me slightly.

As everything goes silent, I feel my face turn another angry shade of red as I struggle for air. Vaas stares at me as I claw pathetically at his muscled arms, my nails barely breaking his skin. Black dots start to fill my vision as Vaas' face fades away into a blurry mess. I feel my eyes roll into the back of my head, but just before everything blacks out completely, Vaas releases my neck.

Collapsing to the ground, I flop like a fish out of water, gasping loudly as I suck in as much air as I can. My vision doubles for a moment as the floating black dots start to disappear. I breathe in that fast that I choke on nothing. Vaas kneels next to me, watching me as I cough and splutter on the floor. I lie on my back, looking up at him as I control my breathing.

"I thought you were smart, Charlotte. I thought you knew how things work around here." An evil grin appears on his face. "Guess I'll have to show you then."

Before I can acknowledge what's happening, Vaas yanks me up and onto my feet, which causes me to go dizzy, and I trip. Before I fall to the floor, I manage to land against Vaas' hard chest, my hands gripping onto the red fabric of his shirt. His hands grip me under my arms to balance me as he winks at me.

"I never knew you were so forward, Charlotte." He says, a playful grin on his face.

Quickly, I push myself away from him only for him to grab my wrist. I try to shake him off me and I punch his chest, but he roughly jerks me against him as he stares down at me.

"You even think of trying to run away and I'll slice you up real nice." He threatens, patting the leather holster where his knife hides.

A growl rumbles through my chest, and he chuckles darkly. "I see leona is the perfect name for you."

Vaas kicks the door open, causing it to swing open and hit the wall with a heavy force. Pirates stop and stare as Vaas drags me out of the shack by my arm. I dig my heels into the ground as hard as I can, but Vaas just pulls me along as if I am a rag doll. A wall of heat hits me as I'm pulled into the sunlight and I squint at the glaring light.

"You see, Charlotte, I was hoping I wouldn't have to do this, but since you can't learn your place I need to take control." Vaas says idly as he takes me through the camp.

"And by taking control, I need to show you what happens when you fuck with me and don't obey my orders." Vaas continues to say.

As Vaas speaks, I stop struggling to notice how the pirates stop on the spot to part to the sides, leaving room for Vaas to walk past. They stare at him, their eyes glued to him as if he's covered in exotic jewels. They treat him like a king.

_This is my kingdom._

Despite the heat, the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and a cold shiver runs down my spine as I remember what Vaas said. How did he get this much power over everything? The questions worries me as I'm dragged and pulled by Vaas towards a clump if trees. As we enter the group of trees, I begin to hear voices, multiple voices. Laughter rings through the air as we walk deeper, and curiosity overcomes me. Vaas speaks up again.

"You've got spunk, Charlotte, and you're feisty. I like that, but continue to bitch around like you're doing now, and this will be your fate."

As he says this, he pulls me through the trees to the other side to a clearing. I stumble slightly, trying to rip my arm away from Vaas, but as I look up at the scene before me, I gasp in horror.

Cages. Everywhere, cages full of people litter the ground. Every person, who look tired and beaten, inside them are tied up with rope, just like I was, and the majority are gagged. For the ones who aren't gagged cry and plead with the passing pirates, who just laugh in their faces. A couple of the pirates torment the hostages, saying horrible things and harassing some of the women. A couple of small, run-down shacks stand on the outskirts of the clearing, hidden by the trees, and blood-curdling screams come from inside them.

Further on beyond the cages, a few pirates take some of the hostages away, shoving their guns into their backs. I watch as they lead the helpless people to big trucks, forcing them all inside different vehicles. My stomach swirls and tightens as I realise what it is; it's a hostage camp.

My voice is stuck in my throat, only a croak escaping past my dry lips, as I stand in shock. Vaas sighs beside me.

"Beautiful, isn't it." He comments.

My head slowly turns to him, my expression filled with a mixture of shock and disgust. "You're a monster."

The corners of his mouth flick up as he continues to stare out at the hostage camp. His hands strike out and grab me from behind, holding my arms behind my back. Panic surges through me as he starts to shove me towards the bamboo cages. I protest, but it's no use as we come closer to the cages. I cringe, noticing that they all recoil in fear like scared puppies as they see Vaas coming close. God knows how he's treated them.

Tears well up in my eyes as I see how beaten and broken they all are. There are people of all ages in the cages, ranging from young and healthy to old and fragile. Their wide, teary eyes stare at me, pleading to me to help them. I turn my head to the side, refusing to look at them as I squirm against Vaas.

"What's wrong, Charlotte? Don't like what you see?" He asks, his mouth coming close to my ear. "Are you scared?"

My eyes squeeze together tightly as I bit onto my lip to stop my sobs. Vaas shakes me, growling in my ear.

"Hey, answer me! I said are you scared?" He whispers harshly.

I nod my head, my eyes creeping open slightly. "Yes."

"Good, you should be." Vaas whispers.

Suddenly, I'm thrown against one of the cages, my face getting crushed into the bamboo. All the hostages scream behind their gags as my whole body is forced against the cage. I cry out in pain as Vaas pushes his body against mine, resting his head in the crook of my neck.

"You see, Charlotte, you should be scared, because you know why? _This_ will be you if you don't start behaving yourself." Vaas says as he points to the scared people in the cage. "My men will beat you so you don't have the strength to move. Then I will tie you up and throw you into one of these cages, making sure the rest of your time here is a living hell. Then, someone will buy you and they will torture you and fuck your pretty brains out until you're left pleading for your death."

By now, I'm fully sobbing, my body shaking against the cage. Vaas breathes heavily against my ear and neck.

"Do you want that, Charlotte? Do you really want to become one of these?" Vaas asks quietly.

My sobs slowly come to a stop, just silent tears trickling down my cheeks. I suck in a deep breath and shake my head. "No. No I don't." I reply.

I feel him smirk against me, and I whimper as his nose nuzzles against my cheek. "You know, you look so sexy when you're vulnerable." He whispers.

I cry out loudly as I manage to escape Vaas' grip, stumbling over my footing. My body hits the ground hard, and I moan as I sit up, bringing my knees to my chin as I wipe my tears away. Footsteps come to towards me and I look up to see Vaas grinning above me.

"Now, you be good, my little leona, and watch as I take care of some business." He says, turning around to one of his men. "Bring out the rejects!"

Vaas walks over to a big, wooden stage, something I hadn't noticed before. The stage is old, ageing with grime and rust in some places. It creaks as Vaas steps onto it, watching as three people are brought onto the stage in front of him. The three people are all men, two of them being young and the other quite old. All of them are tied up, their bodies covered in blood, bruises, and dirt. Vaas pulls out his gun as he walks casually over to them.

"Do you know why you're all here?" Vaas asks, walking back and forth in front of them.

All of the men just whimper and stay silent, trying to make themselves as small as possible. I silently get up onto my knees, crawling slightly closer to get a better view as Vaas starts to speak again.

"You're all here because no one wants you." Vaas states. "You're family doesn't want you; they can't pay up the cash for you. Also, I can't ship you off because no one wants you. You're not good enough. You're all worthless. WORTHLESS!" Vaas shouts.

Vaas stalks up to the first hostage, the elder man. "You're not worth any money, you know. No one wants to buy and old-timer like you, so weak and ugly."

He moves onto the next one, who looks about twenty and very scrawny looking. "Now you, amigo, you are no good to anyone. Look at yourself! You're skin and bones, no meat, no muscles, nothing! You're not even a man. You don't deserve to even be alive!" He shouts in the face of the young man.

My insides twist and tighten as I watch and listen to Vaas abuse these poor, innocent human beings. I feel sick and disgusted with myself that I'm not doing anything to help, but what can I do? A few minutes ago, Vaas threatened to put me in the same position as everyone else here. I can't do anything, I'm powerless. If I try to do anything, I'm just going to end up like everyone else, and I don't want that to happen. _Selfish._

Vaas looks at the last one, laughing as he walks up to him. "You're a pathetic excuse for a man. Let's see, you brought your wife here on a romantic vacation? No, no, no, hermano, change of plans now."

Vaas kneels down next to the man, who tries to squirm away from him. "No one wants you, hermano, but your wife, oh, lots of people would buy good money for her."

Vaas looks over to a certain cage, obviously where the wife is, and looks back at the man. "Look at her." He orders.

The man, instead, looks down to the wooden flooring of the stage, tears welling up in his eyes. Vaas frowns, grabbing the man's head and forcing him to look up.

"Hey! I said look at your wife! Open your eyes and look at her now or I'll slice your fucking eyelids off!" Vaas shouts.

When the man still doesn't look, Vaas forces him to the floor and slams his head against the hard floor. Vaas then gets up and starts to kick the defenceless man repeatedly. I watch as blood spurts from the man's mouth and his cries pierce the air. I close my eyes, attempting to block it all out, but Vaas continues to beat the man, and I can't take it anymore.

"Vaas!" I shout, but he still continues. "Vaas, STOP!"

Silence fills the air as Vaas suddenly stops, his whole body turning towards me. Anger fills his expression, but there's a slight hint of shock mixed in as well.

"What did you say?" He asks.

I look up at him before looking down at my hands. "Please, stop it." I plead, glancing back up at him.

Our eyes connect for a few moments, Vaas just standing there with the gun hanging from his hand. His head cocks to the side slightly as he takes a step forward. He looks back at the three men, then to me, nodding his head.

"Okay."

My eyes widen and I pause before I speak. "What?"

"You want me to stop, I'll stop. You want me to end their suffering, I will." Vaas replies, gesturing to the hostages..

My eyebrows knit together for a moment, but I shake off the feeling quickly, looking back at Vaas. "T-Thank you." I reply.

Vaas nods his head and turns back to the three men. "Charlotte wants me to end your suffering, so say goodbye, gentlemen."

Before I can question what he's doing, Vaas raises his gun and shoots the three men one after the other.

Screams and muffled cries from the hostages ring out through the camp as all three bodies slump awkwardly to the floor. My heart stops as horror floods my body. I watch as the multiple pools of blood seep through the cracks of the wooden stage. My chest rises and falls at an unbelievably fast pace, it feels as if my heart is about to smash through my ribcage and out my chest. Everything goes blurry as I feel lightheaded.

"What's wrong?" Vaas asks, scaring me as he jumps off the stage and crouches in front of me. "You told me you wanted me to end their suffering, so I did."

"I-I didn't want you to k-kill them!" I stutter, burying my head in my hands.

"Well, how else was I supposed to end their pointless lives?" Vaas asks with a smug grin.

A stabbing pain goes through my stomach and I have the sudden horrible urge to vomit. I quickly roll onto my knees and expect to empty my stomach, but instead I begin to dry heave, choking on my own sobs. The scene replays over in my head, the sound of the gunshots and the bodies hitting the ground going over in my head. And it's all my fault.

I asked Vaas to stop beating them. I asked Vaas to end their pain. I even _thanked_ him. It's all my fault that those three innocent men are dead, it's all my fault. The cries around me get louder and louder, until it seems like all the hostages are screaming in my ears. My stomach tightens and I feel the bile rise up into my throat, but I haven't the strength to vomit.

"Somebody clean this shit up." Vaas' voice pulls me back into reality, and I quickly sit up as he comes towards me.

He doesn't say a word as he suddenly hauls me up to my feet. Instead of fighting, I just hang my head and let Vaas take me back to the camp. I'm pulled by the arm, but not back towards the camp. Instead, I'm pulled towards a dark green truck that's on the other side of the clearing. I frown as we walk towards it, and I look up at Vaas. His expression is completely blank, so blank that nobody would ever think he just killed three men nearly a minute ago.

My whole body freezes and stiffens as Vaas opens the passenger door and looks at me sternly.

"Get in." He orders.

I comply, scrambling into the seat as he slams the door shut. Two pirates get in the back, guns strapped to their bodies and bandanas over their faces. Vaas opens the driver's door and gets in, his expression still blank as he shuts the door with a slam.

"What happening?" I ask, panic clear in my voice.

Vaas turns to me, a small smile playing on his lips as he starts the ignition, the truck roaring to life.

"We're going for a little drive."

**Sorry if this one is boring, but the next chapter is going to be eventful!**


End file.
